Why Like Snoop Dogg We Should Thank Ourselves For Doing Stuff: The Great Stoic Philosophy Of Uncle Snoop

Snoop Dogg received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in his ‘Thank You Speech,’ he thanked himself.

To quote the speech: “I want to thank me for believing in me, I want to thank me for doing all this hard work, I want to thank me for having no days off, I want to thank me for never quitting, I want to thank me for always being a giver, and trying to give more than I receive, I want to thank me for doing more right than wrong, I want to thank me for being me at all times…”

That is some cold ass truth.

His speech made me realise the importance of accumulating everyday activities that help me get closer to achieving my goals and wishes in life.

Am I doing all I can to achieve my goals? Am I going at it daily? Am I working relentlessly hard?

This is the way we can be able to ‘Thank Ourselves for showing up every day’ like Uncle Snoop.

The Stoicism of Snoop Dogg

Many people throughout history have practised the Stoic Philosophy: From Emperors (Marcus Aurelius) to slaves (Epictetus): To politicians, businesspersons, soldiers and artists.

I doubt if Snoop Dogg considers himself a Stoic. To me though, his speech embodied this ancient Greek philosophy of Stoicism.

Simply, stoicism is an easy ‘tell yourself this because of that’ philosophy

It is like Emperor Marcus Aurelius saying to himself the following (in his posthumous book ‘Meditations’):

“If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it”

This is quite simple. Do not do it if it is wrong – because it is wrong. Do it if it is right – because it is right.

“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be – be one”

Be this good-man every day – because character is displayed in deeds. Character is training daily. Train to be this good-man every day. The good-man muscle builds in this way.

It is Epictetus telling himself these:

“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”

Snoop Dogg showed up to studio. He showed up when it was time to write songs. He rose to the occasion and gave. We also have to ask ourselves what we would be and do so to be.

“The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.”

In return, you have to be a company that uplifts them and whose presence calls for their best. This is achievable through daily activities of trying to be.

–

Go ahead and tell yourself what you should or not do – be or not be. We author our lives through our actions and reactions. As we live-on and learn from life, it is better to write our own meditations of how we should act and not act.

Stoicism is writing down our own mediations.

As we live up to these meditations, is how we will be able to ‘Thank Ourselves.’

Stoicism is about ‘practising’ virtue

Virtue has to be lived with actions. It can’t be lived in words alone. Stoicism is also about meditating to not letting events in life affect us adversely.

Some people see their adversity as an excuse to not aim higher and do good: (as Uncle Snoop would say) Waking up with a sense of mission, working hard, giving, not quitting, and doing right over wrong.

It is so easy to be lazy, idle, do wrong, blame others and aim at nothing difficult – especially because of circumstances.

“If virtue promises happiness, prosperity and peace, then progress in virtue is progress in each of these for to whatever point the perfection of anything brings us, progress is always an approach toward it” – Epictetus

Show me a person who has achieved perfection and I will add that she has achieved it through trying many times.

“But neither a bull nor a noble-spirited man comes to be what he is all at once; he must undertake hard winter training, and prepare himself, and not propel himself rashly into what is not appropriate to him.” – Epictetus

To be able to thank ourselves later, we ought to go through winters of training so to be appropriate to ourselves.

The small daily actions count

To me being virtuous goes with practising little things every day. It is reading daily to keep my mind fit – except on rest days. It is brushing my teeth and making my bed on time daily. Bathing daily. Cleaning daily. Taking the dirty cup into the sink. Washing it and putting it where it is supposed to be. Sending that business proposal. Learning a marketing skill and practising it. Being respectful. Checking up on family.

From a week of not exercising (working out releases energy) to a week of low energy. Low energy to carry out tasks to goals. To feeling despondent. To feeling like a victim. To blaming others.

What makes us is the actions we accumulate daily. And the actions we do not take.

Every day, LIKE THE STOICISM OF SNOOP DOGG, we must accumulate things we can thank ourselves for later.

Will all the goals we go after become successful? No. But we will thank ourselves for being doers. Every day doers. This attitude and trait will allow us to go after many goals. It is keeping match fit.